A Sleeping Bookworm
by Mockingjaybird
Summary: Her parents, the King and Queen, have half-lied to their daughter, Princess Hermione. They've told her it's just her thirteenth birthday, but in reality it's for her bethrothal to Draco Malfoy, Prince to the Malfoy kingdom. But as the spectacle goes on, a bitter witch arrives and curses Hermione, her fate determined by a book page.


**AN: This was originally for a challenge or competition that I can't remember what it was called. So this is just going to be a normal story. I do not own Harry Potter or Disney/Sleeping Beauty. **

…

"Mother? Why are there so many people coming here again?" a small voice asked from the windowsill. The young girl peered over the top of the stone, where a gathering of citizens were entering the castle walls. The older woman, dressed in regal robes of a deep red and golden yellow, smiled at her daughter's curiosity and small forgetfulness.

"Because, Hermione dear, they are coming to celebrate your birthday."

A happy smile played on the girl's lips as she came down from her spot. Then, a furrowed brow and pout formed. "But, what if I don't want to go? What if I want to read?"

"Hermione, you can't stay up here all day. You have your people waiting." In the Queen's mind, she sometimes thought her daughter spent too much time burying her nose in books.

"Mother, is this really just a birthday party? Nothing else besides that?" Hermione asked, giving her mother a look. There had been more than one occasion that some event her parents had put together turned out to be something else just to get her out of her room.

"Yes dear." It was a half lie. It was for her thirteenth birthday, although it was also to announce her betrothal. The Queen had thought that Hermione was still too young to become betrothed, but her husband thought it was better for their kingdom to be reunited with his long-time friend's kingdom sooner.

She added for good measure, "Your friends are here." A smile beamed on Hermione's face.

With a great grin, the Queen said, "Come on, Hermione, let's go downstairs." An excited squeal upon the prospect of seeing her friends came from the girl and she bounced toward the door.

Once downstairs, there was a magnitude of colors dancing, twirling, and moving before Hermione's brown eyes. She so wanted to run in and out of them and be twirled around and around until she was dizzy. She had to admit for once this was better than her book-

"You're Majesties!" A tall, elderly woman called after mother and daughter. Both turned around and the Queen smiled. "Yes, Lady Minerva?"

"The King of the Malfoy kingdom is here, along with his son; my Queen."

"Wonderful. Please go tell Henry." With a dismissal, Lady Minerva McGonagall went off to tell King Henry. As the two made their way up to where the royal thrones sat, Hermione spotted two boys her age, one with messy jet black hair and the other with carrot orange hair. They were her best friends, both sons of people that worked under her family.

Hermione tugged on her mother's robes and looked at her. "Can I please go talk to Harry and Ron?" she asked, stealing a glance to make sure they hadn't moved from the long extravagant buffet table, where Ron was currently stuffing his freckled face.

"It's Ronald, honey."

"But he tells me he doesn't like to be called Ronald. He's only called that when he's in trouble."

The Queen smiled. "It's still proper," she said. Hermione still looked at her waiting for an answer. "Oh, alright."

As Hermione said her thanks with excitement and started off, her mother called after, "Someone will fetch you soon!"

Hermione raced through the large crowd, getting increasingly close to Harry and Ron. She could see them within her grasp, knew she was going to tell them how excited she was to finally have a real birthday party-

"Oof!" She bumped into someone and stumbled back. Standing in front of her was a boy about her age and just an inch or two taller than herself, with light blonde hair.

"Hey!"

"Sorry! I didn't see you," she apologized.

He looked down at her, silver eyes gazing into her brown ones. "Just watch where you're going," he mumbled rolling his eyes and stepped aside, morphing back into the crowd. She stared after him. _Someone's not a very happy person today_ she thought, before realizing her task at hand. She rushed forward towards the buffet table.

"Ron! Harry!" The two turned towards the sound their names. "Hermione! Happy birthday!" Harry greeted. Ron mumbled a greeting with the food in his mouth.

"I'm finally having a party! Can you believe it?"

"There's so much around. Oh, I almost forgot! It's from me and Ron. Here you go," Harry said, taking out a small package from his pants pocket. He extended it out to Hermione. A small neat bow made out of twine completed the package. She recognized it as a present.

"Harry, you two didn't have to!"

"But we wanted to. We didn't get you anything last year," he said. Hermione smiled.

"Well, thank you."

"You're welcome!" Ron said, finally swallowing. Hermione playfully scowled at him.

"Why does it seem like every time I see you, you're stuffing your face?"

"I do not!" Ron exclaimed, ears reddening. Hermione and Harry laughed and the three carried on a small conversation until Lady Minerva approached them.

"Princess! Your mother wants you now." Hermione said her goodbyes to the two and followed Lady Minerva up to the thrones. She took her seat respectively next to her parents as her father stood to address the crowd. In an instant, the crowd hushed.

"Thank you for coming to celebrate this joyous occasion for our Princess. Now, because of this recent milestone at the age of thirteen, I am proud to announce her betrothal to Prince Draco of the Malfoy kingdom!" As the crowd cheered, Hermione was in shock and snapped her head toward her parents. What had her father just said? She was what?

A tall, thin man with long, pale blonde hair stepped forward with a boy shorter than him. Hermione recognized him instantly. It was the boy she had bumped into. And she could only figure that this was the prince she was betrothed to. Hermione's line of sight met her mother's, who dipped her head and shifted her eyes toward the father and son. As the two came up to the podium, Hermione reluctantly got up and stood in the middle. Draco kneeled before Hermione, who was wide-eyed. "W-what are y-?" She was stunned into silence when his lips met her hand.

The crowd roared again and then King Henry introduced the Three Good Faeries: Mistress Nymphadora, Mistress Molly, and Mistress Lily. "Your majesties, each of us would like to bless the Princess with a single gift," replied Molly, floating in her red and orange robes toward the thrones and a still standing Hermione. "My gift shall be the gift of beauty. May her curls shine in the sunlight and lips be as colorful as the rose."

Lily stepped forward. "May my gift be the gift of intelligence. May the Princess's mind be bright and clear, no problem she shall not be able to solve."

Nymphadora came forward and winked in Hermione's direction. "My gift for the Princess is-"

Suddenly, there was a loud boom and a blinding flash that caused shrieks and screams. Hermione tumbled to the ground and someone was right there with her. When Hermione's eyes opened, she saw the familiar green robes of a Malfoy and stared into the silver eyes of Draco. He gave her a small smile.

Then, she saw a tall woman dressed in all black with an almost wild and disheveled appearance in the middle of the floor. The party goers had pushed themselves closer to the walls, parting a way for the mysterious woman. Curled around her shoulders was a large snake.

"Why, King Henry, what a group you have gathered," she said, her voice dangerously smooth. "The royalty, nobility, classes, and oh look, even the rebel."

Nymphadora half charged half flew towards the woman, until Lily held her back.

"I do feel quite upset that I didn't receive an invitation to such a bash," the woman continued, laughing a bit.

"You weren't wanted!" Nymphadora spat.

The woman stopped laughing. "I wasn't wa…oh, I thought it was merely just an accident. If that was all, I might as well leave…"

The Queen rose in her seat. "You're not offended, Lady Bellatrix?" she asked, her voice steady.

Bellatrix's lips curled into a smile. "Oh no, your majesty. In fact, I'd like to give a gift to the Princess." At that, Nymphadora, Molly, and Lily moved to stand to protect Hermione and Draco had grasped her closer.

"Listen all of you! The Princess shall become beautiful and intelligent, but on her on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, the Princess shall cut her finger on a book page and die."

An immediate outbreak of protests and outrage filled the room. "No!" the Queen exclaimed, and the King rose from his seat, shouting, "Seize her! Seize that witch!"

Bellatrix laughed and yelled, "Fools!" before with a loud pop, disappeared.

"Wait! Nymphadora still has her gift!" Molly yelled. The room quieted down as the younger faerie took her stand. "Now, I can't make her curse go away. But I can modify it. So, when the Princess cuts her finger, she shall fall into a deep sleep until true love's first kiss breaks the spell."

No one moved. The words slowly sunk in and when they did, the King told one of the pages in a quiet voice, "Get them out." When the page didn't move, the King roared, "GET THEM OUT!"

In a scramble the guests were escorted out, the elder Malfoy exchanging words with King Henry, the faeries trying to calm down the Queen. Hermione was still on the ground trying to take everything in as Draco sat next to her.

She was supposed to die, or now sleep, from one of her most beloved past times? It was cruel, Hermione thought. A sick joke.

Every single book in the kingdom was burned that night; fire and smoke lighting up the dark sky.

…

**AN: Please review. **


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